The Squirrel Incident
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: Oh goody, a la la story. Between Todd and Kitty. Well that's different, for me anyhow. Kinda leaves off, like a cliffhanger, but I doubt I'll write more chapters or anything. So, have at it!


A/N: Ah, boredom. And insanity caused by my b/f's annoying little sister, too much SoBe, and candy sticks. Add a little Todd to the mix and you got this. So, no flames. Even though I'm freezing. So.... la-de-da and here we go.  
  
  
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Todd was in the park, stretched out on a bench. It was a Wednesday afternoon. School left out early for some reason or the other, nobody cared about details. It was fall, and cool, but not cold. The sun warmed the earth, and made the foliage glimmer its gold, red, and orange hues.  
  
  
Smiling slightly, Todd watched the leaves fall to the ground. He loved this time of the year. He was born in the fall. His exact birthdate was lost to time, being born into an orphanage, but one of the nurses there remembered it was fall. And so, he fell in love with it. Everything seemed to be dying on the surface, but deep down it was still vibrantly alive. Like him, almost.  
  
  
Lost in his reverie, he didn't hear the crying at first. When he did, he almost dismissed it. But it was there, quiet but consistent. Getting up off the bench, Todd began to hop around, looking for whoever it was. Normally he'd ignore it, but something told him not to this time. This area of the park was heavily forested, and the paths intertwined in a labyrinth like maze. After his third circling, he was about ready to give up, when he literally came upon who it was.  
  
  
It was none other than the petite little X-Freak known as Kitty Pryde. She was crouched under a tree, and Todd thought it was ironic that the tree was a Weeping Willow. Full and every pun intended. She had her head buried in her knees, arms holding them up to her face. He was going to leave and walk away, because the affairs of the X-Freaks were none of business, when he rustled some leaves by accident. Kitty looked up, startled.  
  
  
He was startled too. Her face was red, puffy, and tear streaked. It was as if someone had just had a slapping match with her, and she lost big time. Todd started to say something, but Kitty's eyes just welled up again, and the sobs returned. His heart went out to her, because whatever it was it upset her enough to ignore him and not scream 'ew!' or 'leave me alone, Toad!', or the like. Without thinking, he sat down beside her, and put his hand on her shoulder. She sat up and looked at him.  
  
  
"S-sorry, I didn't meant to touch your shoulder....." He trailed off as Kitty buried her head again, this time into his shoulder. He put his arms around her loosely, almost hugging her. "Shh, it's okay. What's wrong, yo? What happened?"  
  
  
"I-I didn't mean.... accident.... I-I s-s-said sorry....." Todd couldn't make out the rest. He decided he should at least calm her down first. ~Wait a minute? What am I doing? She's the enemy for Crist's sake! I should just get up and walk away, like every other time!~ But Todd knew he couldn't. He hated to see people like this, and it included Kitty Pryde. It reminded him too much of the past.   
  
  
"Kitty, it's okay.... Calm down, it's alright. Deep breaths... Please try to calm down." Kitty's sobs slowed, but didn't stop completely. She took some deep breaths, or tried to. Finally, she was still crying, but the wails were gone and she was silent. "Now tell me. What's wrong, yo?"   
  
  
"I-It was an accident. I d-didn't mean to hurt anyone. Or anything, it was an accident!" She protested to no one it particular. She seemed to be trying to convince herself of it.   
  
  
"Tell me, yo, what happened?" Todd didn't mean to sound agitated. It just that he never had a whole lot of patience with anybody.  
  
  
"S-Scott was showing me how to drive. I have my permit. We w-were on the road up by the mansion, and I was looking down at the pedals on the floor when I heard Scott yell. I-I accidently ran.... I hit a baby squirrel!" She began bawling again while Todd just sat there, a cross between sympathetic and incredulous. He tried not to laugh, but couldn't help it. "Y-you're l-l-laughing at me!"  
  
  
"No, no, not at you!" Todd said, defending himself against a clumsy slap. "It's just the..... situation I guess. That, yo, and it reminds me of something Pietro did."  
  
  
"You are laughing at me!" She looked about ready to continue bawling when she hesitated. "What did Pietro do?"  
  
  
"He was out driving, and a squirrel ran into the wheel." He saw the tears coming, and quickly added the rest of the story. "It didn't die! Just knocked it loopy, yo. Pietro was so upset-- hard to believe I know-- that he took it home and bottle fed the little guy for a week! Pietro acted like it was his baby, yo! And then, when he went to release it into the wild, he actually started crying! I swear on the flies I eat! He goes and checks on him every few days! Named him Skid cuz he made skid marks or something, yo."  
  
  
It looked like Kitty was gonna cry again, but instead, she burst out laughing. Todd breathed a sigh of relief. This time the tears weren't sad, but happy. Todd himself began laughing at the asburdity of it, and soon they were both doubled over with laughter. The most funny part was, Todd thought, was that it was the truth! Finally, though, they stopped and returned to their sitting positions under the tree.  
  
  
"Ya wanna know something really funny, yo?" Todd asked.  
  
  
"I don't think, like, anything could top Pietro with a squirrel for a baby, but yeah, sure."  
  
  
"Well, a couple of things, actually. One, that's the first time I had a honest laugh in ages, yo, and two, that's the first I've actually spoken to one of X-Freaks and didn't have somebody scream 'Ew!' or 'Get away from me, Toad!'." Todd did find that funny, but Kitty didn't.  
  
  
"I guess that, like, we really do treat you bad." Kitty said after a minute. She looked up at him. "Sorry."  
  
  
"Ah, it's okay, yo. I'm so used to it anymore it don't phase me none." Todd said, waving it off.  
  
  
"No, it's not okay. Like, we don't like being treated bad because we're different, and yet we do the exact same thing to you. It's not right."  
  
  
"Kit-kat, I hate to break it to ya, yo, but there's a lot in this world that ain't right. The fact that ya hit a squirrel-- that ain't right. But yet it happened, yo. That's the way this world works."   
  
  
"Well the world's wrong." Kitty argued. "Like... I don't know. I try so hard to keep an optimistic outlook on the world, but it's, like.... It always gets thrown back in my face."  
  
  
"Yeah, I know. I know." Todd let himself space out, caught up once again in a reverie. It was during this Kitty noticed something for the first time.  
  
  
"You have green eyes."   
  
  
"Hmm?" Todd said, hearing her but not what she said.  
  
  
"I said, you have green eyes. I never noticed before." Todd shrugged.  
  
  
"Yeah... Green, like the rest of me. Like the feeling people get when they see me." Todd said without feeling. It was bitter, he guessed, but to be bitter meant you actually had to care.  
  
  
"No." Kitty said. She thought for a minute, looking into the confused eyes she had been mentioning. "They're green like.... emeralds. Like the summer forest after the rain when sun has just come out from behind the clouds. Like a spring meadow, just when everything is new..."   
  
  
Todd was left speechless. To have someone describe him and not use one negative word was just... dumbfounding. Kitty suddenly blushed and looked at the ground. Todd, amazingly, found himself blushing too.  
  
  
"Thanks." He said, after a minute. "I'd describe your eyes but personally I don't think words can and if they could, I suck at words."  
  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Kitty said. Her face flushed red again. She glanced at her watch. "Oh no, I was supposed to be home an hour ago! I have to go." She stood up, then seeing Todd's disappointed look, said something she, a few hours ago, wouldn't have dreamed of. "Todd?"  
  
  
"Yeah?" Todd said, looking up, a little thrown by someone using his given name.  
  
  
"Wanna walk me home?"   
  
  
"Kit-kat, I would love to, yo." Todd stood up straight, and offered his arm. Kitty took, noticing something else.  
  
  
"You're taller than me." Todd looked over and noticed that it was true, he was at least two or three inches taller than her.  
  
  
"Well whaddya know, I am, yo."  
  
  
"You should stand up more often. Doesn't all that hopping around hurt your back?" They had reached the main path and were starting out of the park. The sun was setting, and the air was getting cool. Kitty shivered, and Todd, unsure, put his arm around her shoulder. Kitty looked at him gratefully. "Aren't you going to answer?"  
  
  
"Huh?" Todd had been caught up in her. "Oh yeah. No, it doesn't, yo. I'm like Blue-boy, though I hate to compare myself to him, yo."  
  
  
"You know, I, like, apologized for being a hypocrite, and yet you make fun of Kurt." Kitty said, her voice half filled with disgust.  
  
  
"I don't make fun of him, yo! Well, okay, I do. But it's not because of what he is, yo, as much as who he is. He just gets on my nerves. Like a certain speed demon....."  
  
  
"Okay, like, I'll be the first to admit that Kurt can be a little annoying, but at least give him a chance."  
  
  
"For you I'd do anything." It took a second for Todd to realize that he had said that aloud. He quickly blushed and found the ground most interesting all of a sudden.   
  
  
Kitty smiled at his shyness. She had known that Todd always liked her, but he had never really made a move on her. Not like he did with Wanda. Hmm. Wonder if he did that just to do it, or was it because he liked Wanda more than her? There was one way to find out, but she didn't think she had the courage to do it. She was brought out of her thoughts by Todd waving his hand in front of her face.  
  
  
"Hmm, what?"  
  
  
"I said we're here, yo." True enough, they had reached the mansion's gates. The park was only twenty minutes away.   
  
  
"Oh right. Well... I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Kitty said, unsure of what else to say. Todd just gave a small smile and nodded, turning away. Watching him do so, Kitty so badly wanted to go after him, but then what? What would she do? Or say? Sighing, she started to phase through the gates when she heard Todd's voice calling her.  
  
  
"Yes?" She said eagerly, as he reapproached.   
  
  
"I was just wondering.... Oh, hell, nevermind, yo." He started to leave again, but was stopped by Kitty.   
  
  
"What is it?" She asked. He was silent for a moment before speaking.  
  
  
"What's going to happen tomorrow? I mean, I know what I want to happen, but I'm not sure if that's being realistic or just off in fantasy land, yo." Kitty, looking into those green eyes, reacted on pure instinct.  
  
  
Who it shocked more, Kitty or Todd, remains debatable. But it can't be denied that both fell into it without a care. What Kitty had done was, to most people, the absolute unthinkable. Kitty Pryde kissed Todd Tolensky.   
  
  
"Is that your answer, yo, or a preview of coming attractions?" Todd asked slyly. Kitty grinned.  
  
  
"I think I'll leave that up to you." She said.  
  
  
"How can someone go from hating me to not in a matter of hours, yo?"   
  
  
"It's strange. I never really hated you. It's just what everybody else did, and I so desparately wanted to fit in that I went with it, and hurt you doing so. I'm sorry." Kitty couldn't face him, until a hand gently forced her to look up into his eyes.  
  
  
"Kit-kat, you could never hurt me." Todd was being completely and utterly honest. Once again their mouths found each other, the intensity not going down one notch. "But, do you really wanna lose your popularity and great social status over a runaway orphan who can't even defend himself against Duncan Matthews?"  
  
  
"To quote someone special, for you I'd do anything." Kitty said, also being completely truthful. "I never thought I'd say this, but right now I wanna shout it. I love you Todd Tolensky."  
  
  
"I love you too, Kitty Pryde." Kitty leaned up and whispered something in Todd's ear before leaving a happily surprised Todd, a big smile on her face. Todd finally came back to reality and walked away.  
  
  
What did she say? 'Maybe one day my last name won't be Pryde.' And all this, Todd thought with ironic amusement, over a baby squirrel.   
  
  
  
  
A/N2: I hadn't intended to go as it did, but I think I like it. Oh, and before all of animal lovers flame me, Kitty said she 'hit' the squirrel, not 'killed' it. Okay?! So no suing! This ain't the WWF thing, okay! Anyway, for those of you who are left that I didn't tick off, plz r/r! 


End file.
